Selected as one of 20 winners in the International Shitsurai Art Competition, "Sparkling Soul" was built
in the fall of 2011 at the Po-ai Shiosai Park in the Port of Kobe as part of
the Kobe Biennale. The theme of the Kobe Beinnale 2011 is “Kira,” which
translates to sparkle or radiance; however, Kira is not limited to the tangible
– it expands to the essence of shine. Like a school of fish captures flashes of
sunlight through the sea water, this sculpture captures the Kira of Kobe,
welcoming its patrons to the port and to the city. By filtering natural light
and reflecting captured image through the swirl of reflective sticks, the
installation draws out the sparkle of one’s soul and invites a participatory
experience with the surrounding site.

The
non-linear system used to create the design mimics the highly mathematical
phenomena of nature. The angle and flow of the sticks creates a variation of
porosity and a randomness through which light and image are manipulated,
creating a dynamic space and capturing the most brilliant essence there is –
the soul of the site and its people. As
people pass by the many pieces of mirrored surface, their image and movement is
reflected back to them in a new, fragmented way. The viewer now has a direct
interaction with the structure. The installation is also interactive with the
environment of the port of Kobe - capturing the essence of the sun and the
ocean, the people and the place. as the hues of the day change from pink and
blue at dawn to red and orange at dusk, so does the hue of the structure. As
the moon comes out to play, it will dance across the school of sticks
just as it sparkles across the surface of the surrounding ocean.

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Source Organization Network

Source Organization Network is a design research unit exploring new design methodologies and values in architecture and interior design. The unit is organized by members with particular experience and skills for the complex and radically changing world, led bySo Sugita (Saburo Sugita Architects, Hiroshima) and Hiromitsu Konishi (miso, Kyoto).